CNN’s Larry Madowo came under attack after challenging Donald Trump’s claims on TV.
CNN international correspondent Larry Madowo has found himself in the middle of heavy online abuse after a bold fact-checking report aired on the network.
The Kenyan-born journalist had exposed a false narrative pushed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that white farmers were being killed in South Africa. Trump even used disturbing images to back his point. But according to Madowo’s findings, the pictures were not from South Africa at all.
Backed by a detailed investigation from Reuters, Madowo explained that the photos were taken in Goma, DRC, during a tragic incident involving the M23 rebel group, and had nothing to do with South African farmers.
“I fact-checked President Trump’s ‘white genocide’ claims on CNN. Then came the racist hate mail,” Madowo later wrote on social media, describing the backlash that followed.
Hateful Messages and Racist Insults Follow
After the CNN segment aired, a wave of racist emails flooded Madowo’s inbox. Some of the messages were filled with slurs, while others contained cruel wishes, hoping he would suffer from a deadly illness. One chilling email ended with the words: “It’s gonna be a long four years.”
Instead of reacting with anger, Madowo chose a more witty response. He shared a screenshot of one email and remarked:
“This person created a new email address just to be racist to me. I admire the commitment.”
Despite the threats, Madowo stood firm, continuing to highlight false information and push for truth in journalism — even when it attracts hate.
